75-year-old woman who fostered 600 children for five decades receives recognition

A 75-year-old woman from the US received a recognition for fostering 600 children

Linda started accepting children for foster care in the 1970s when she was inspired by her best friend

She has already retired due to health issues and was replaced by her children and grandchildren

Raising a child or two is already hard enough. Can you imagine how tough it can be to raise 600 children?

Linda Herring and her husband Bob welcomed children of all genders and medical situations to their lives for the past five decades. In October 2019, they decided to stop welcoming more children due to health concerns.

Recently, 75-year-old Linda received a recognition from the Department of Human Services Board of Supervisors in “Resolution of Appreciation of Linda Faye Herring for her decades of serving as a foster parent in Johnson County.”

Image via Twitter | Johnson County, Iowa

Linda said she was inspired by her best friend who was also doing foster care. In the 1970s, Linda decided it would be nice to do the same.

“So, I talked to the Department of Human Services and agreed to take kids with medical needs,” she told CNN.

Since then, Linda would take calls from the department, even in the wee hours, and would meet them anywhere to fetch a new child.

“Linda mostly fostered young children and children with special medical needs and kept clothes in her garage, stacked to the ceiling, labeled by size and gender,” the resolution said.

Anthony Herring, one of the children who was adopted by the Herrings, expressed profound gratitude to Linda.

CNN said Anthony was just 6 months old when he was taken under Linda’s wing. He was officially adopted by the family at the age of 3.

Image via Twitter | Johnson County, Iowa

“I appreciate being adopted even more today as a parent than I did when I was a child. I am forever grateful for the life I was given. She and Dad have both taught me that family isn’t determined by blood, it’s who you have in your life to love,” he told the media organization.

Now that Linda has retired from fostering, four of her five biological children and three of her grandchildren have followed her footsteps.

“Linda’s philosophy of fostering was, ‘If no one else can love them or take care of them, I will.'” The resolution further said. “Linda has always put others’ needs before her own.”